1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a vaginal prosthesis, and more specifically to an inflatable device adapted to be inserted within the vagina to prevent involuntary loss of urine.
2. Description of the Related Art
Urinary stress incontinence is defined as the involuntary, sudden loss of small amounts of urine under sudden increases in intra-abdominal pressure as results from coughing, sneezing, squatting, etc. In genuine or pure stress incontinence, there should be no detrusor muscle activity present, as even slight contractions of the bladder may contribute to loss of urine.
There have been many different operations, drugs, medications, active and passive muscle stimulations, and internal vaginal devices devised and used either singularly or in combination to improve or cure this condition. The problem with each of these modalities is that there is a considerable difference in reported outcomes by different investigators using them. Therefore, there is no agreement amongst authorities as to which one of the many choices is superior. However, most medical experts agree that given a choice between non-surgical and surgical methods, the non-surgical approach should be tried first and, if unsuccessful, then surgery should be considered.